By John Stevens, Carole McNall and Robert Laino

In the Spring of 2023, casual users of technology start hearing more and more about something called AI, short for artificial intelligence.

Fast forward a year. Seemingly everyone has at least heard of AI and many have experimented with it. Educators, businesspeople, politicians, students and others have opinions on when – or even if – AI should be used in their field. Based on in-class discussions and a project on AI, the majority of students in MGT 301 at St. Bonaventure University said they were using AI, particularly for information retrieval.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a significant topic of discussion in academia, with applications ranging from grading academic papers to summarizing content and aiding decision-making.

Understanding student perspectives on AI is crucial for designing effective educational strategies and preparing students for AI-driven workplaces. Here we will analyze the viewpoints of students from three class sessions at St. Bonaventure University, shedding light on their attitudes towards AI and its integration into education and the workforce.

Students were initially tasked with writing a one-page paper on management using ChatGPT, although this assignment was neither collected nor graded. Afterward, students were instructed to write a one-page paper detailing their experience with artificial intelligence. Following this, a class conversation was held to discuss the various applications and implications of AI.

The results of these activities provided valuable insights into students’ perceptions, experiences, and attitudes towards AI. The students were asked the following questions to write about in their paper concerning their experiences using ChatGPT:

 – How do you think AI should be used in education such as college?

–  what are the Advantages / disadvantages / risks of AI?

–  What do you like, not like about AI?

–  How can this be used in companies, the workforce?

–  How should students learn about AI in college?

–  Do you use AI in any capacity, if so how, if not why?

All of the 75 student papers containing their responses were summarized for each of the questions. Analysis was done via ChatGPT.

Advantages, Disadvantages, and Risks of AI:

Students across all three class sessions identified several advantages of AI, including timesaving, personalized learning, and faster decision-making. However, concerns were raised about the potential for cheating and plagiarism, job displacement, and reliance on outdated information. Risks associated with AI included misinformation, dependency, and privacy concerns, indicating the need for responsible AI usage.

Likes and Dislikes about AI:

Students appreciated the efficiency and accessibility of AI tools, particularly for research and information gathering. However, concerns were expressed about the lack of emotional understanding and reliance on outdated data. Despite these drawbacks, students recognized AI’s ability to assist with generating ideas and automating repetitive tasks.

Utilization of AI in Companies and Jobs:

Students highlighted various applications of AI in companies and jobs, including research, data analysis, and decision-making support. However, concerns were raised about potential job displacement and the need for human oversight in AI-driven environments. (As a side note, AI is currently being used extensively in Healthcare, Finance and Transportation.)

Integration of AI into Curriculum in College:

Students overwhelmingly supported the integration of AI into the curriculum at St. Bonaventure University, emphasizing practical applications, hands-on experience, and ethical considerations. They suggested incorporating AI into existing courses, offering separate classes on AI, and providing workshops or seminars to enhance learning experiences.

Usage of AI among Students:

While many students reported using AI for research, information gathering, and proofreading, others expressed concerns about academic integrity and preferred traditional methods. The types of AI tools utilized varied, including those for language translation, grammar checking, and idea generation.

Where do these students see AI being used in business? Two areas they cite have long been seen as places computers could help – streamlining processes and automating menial tasks. Others see a way to enhance decision making.

And fears of job loss to AI have spread in many fields. One major concern is strikes in the  summer of 2023 by actors’ and writers’ unions. The issue was studios using AI to replace human actors and writers.

But some users of AI in business argue it won’t replace humans quite yet. AI is still in the development stage.

Dr. Chris Bopp, assistant professor of computer science at St. Bonaventure, notes the need for training data for AI applications can cause several problems. Some content creators, including the New York Times, are suing AI app creators for theft of intellectual property. Using biased information for training means the user will get biased results. And some AI decisions are effectively made in a black box, unexplainable.

Students varied in how they wanted to learn about AI. Starting in the fall of 2024, the St. Bonaventure University’s computer science department will be offering a three-course concentration in AI for computer science majors. Bopp said the concentration grows from the department’s efforts to keep their curriculum updated / current.

John Stevens is a lecturer of management in the School of Business at St. Bonaventure University. Carole McNall is an assistant professor in the university’s Jandoli School of Communication. Robert Laino, a St. Bonaventure MBA graduate, was a graduate assistant during the 2023-24 academic year.

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Visit our Hybrid Journalism Page to learn more about the project and view other articles. To learn more about this article, click below to watch a conversation with one of the authors, hosted by Cassidey Kavathas.

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